Early voting for the Russian presidential elections in March began on Sunday in the occupied regions of Ukraine, where the conflict is entering its third year, as well as in isolated regions of Russia, the largest country in the world.
The elections, which will be held in the rest of Russia on March 14, are taking place in the context of a ban on criticism of the Russian attack in Ukraine and after the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison.
Vladimir…
Early voting for the Russian presidential elections in March began on Sunday in the occupied regions of Ukraine, where the conflict is entering its third year, as well as in isolated regions of Russia, the largest country in the world.
The elections, which will be held in the rest of Russia on March 14, are taking place in the context of a ban on criticism of the Russian attack in Ukraine and after the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison.
Vladimir Putin, who has been in power since 1999, will not face any real opposition in these elections, which would guarantee him a new six-year term in the Kremlin.
Although no independent candidate is allowed to take on Putin, the high turnout is important for the Russian government to show the unity of the people behind the president.
The Kremlin-appointed head of the occupied zone in Ukraine's Zaporizhia region, where Europe's largest nuclear power plant is located, posted on social media a photo of soldiers at a makeshift voting office.
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The site, which Russian forces took control of in March 2022 after the start of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, is located in a combat zone.
Little information has been leaked about the organization of elections in other areas occupied by Russia since its attack two years ago.
On the contrary, authorities have provided details of how helicopters and snowmobiles were sent to collect votes from isolated people, such as reindeer herders in remote Siberia.
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